Tuesday, January 18, 2011

quote for the day

At the Time Out for Women my mom and I did in Las Vegas John Bytheway shared a poem I have thought about often and thought I'd share:

My life is but a weavingbetween my Lord and me;I cannot choose the colors,He worketh steadily.Oft times He weaveth sorrow,And I, in foolish pride,Forget He sees the upper,And I the under side.

Not 'til the loom is silentand the shuttles cease to fly,Shall God unroll the canvasand explain the reason why.The dark threads are as needfulin the Weaver's skillful hand,As the threads of gold and silverin the pattern He has planned.He knows, He loves, He cares,nothing this truth can dim.He gives His very best to thosewho leave the choice with Him.

~Author Unknown

Isn't that awesome?

I love the analogy of the weaving because it makes me think of one summer long, long ago when my grandma put my sister and I to work on some cross-stitch projects. We worked away with our little cross-stitch hoops on our laps. I remember that we would marvel at how one side looked so messy...messy enough that by looking at it you couldn't even tell what pattern was on the other side. But when we looked at the top the patterns we were making were beautiful.

Sometimes life is so much the same...it can seem so messy from down here in the trenches. We wonder why we have to go through certain things that make our hearts ache so sorrowfully. But there are those small moments when we catch a glimpse of how God sees our lives...the beauty from up above.

And only then to we realize that the dark threads are making the overall pattern beautiful.

What a gorgeous poem! That image is such a good one to remind us of the difference between what we're doing right this second and what we're doing right this second from an eternal perspective. I wish I knew the author! That video of your family was fantastic, btw.

In high school, I put together a notebook of my favorite poems. That one was at the very front and I would read it often. It's been YEARS since I've been able to find that notebook. Thanks for sharing it here! Love it!

I have a quote I've kept for years, I think from a book I've read that reminds me of this.

If anyone knows where it's from or who wrote it, please share... I'd love to track it down:

“It got me thinking. It was about how while we are on earth, our limitations are such that we can only see the underside of the tapestry that God is weaving. God sees the topside, the whole evolving portrait and its amazing beauty, and uses us as the pieces of thread to weave the picture. We see the glorious colors and shadings, but we also see the knots and the threads hanging down, the thick lumpy patches, the tangles. But God and the people in heaven with him see how beautiful the portraits in the tapestry are. The poem says in this flowery way that faith is about the willingness to be used by God wherever and however he most needs you, most needs the piece of thread that is your life. You give him your life to put through his needle, to use as he sees fit.”

I'm a knitter as well, and this quote really hit home for me. There truly is no way for us see the beauty that our Heavenly Father sees in all of us. We just see the not so pleasant underside and feel frustrated, compare ourselves with others and sometimes simply give up hope of ever getting through our challenges.

Wow what a way to start my day. I think you have a great object lesson for your Young Women class, (and sitting still long enough to finish a cross stitch is a good lesson in the busy lives our teens lead).

Thanks for sharing the poem, today felt like Ground Hog Day at home with my three little ones, doing the same things today that I do every day... But today I will look for the gold because I know it is there!

A friend sent me over to check you out. She loves you and if this first post I've read says anything I think I'll be head over heals for your corner of the world too.

I absolutely love this poem and your own understanding/reflection if you will. As a woman who desperately wants to know what plans and beauty lay ahead for my family I have found a comfort and peace in the waiting. Thank you.